President Lukashenko says attack on Belarus would start World War 3

According to RIA Novosti, speaking at an event to celebrate National Unity Day on September 17, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that an attack on Belarus would mean the beginning of World War III. His speech was broadcast by Channel 1.

Belarus could become a place to escalate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, President Lukashenko said, accusing the West of pushing the situation closer to that goal.

The Belarusian president added that, according to intelligence agencies, Belarusian oppositionists are on the run and have met with US representatives, who warned that “from mid-September to early November, the US expects a significant escalation of the military situation both from Moscow and Kiev.”

“They need escalation, so they are talking about Belarus as a place where the situation can escalate. This is not about the participation of our country's armed forces in the Russian-Ukrainian war, we will never do this. However, we will respond when someone else's boots are on our territory, including attacks on border infrastructure,” the Belarusian leader explained.

Earlier, in August, the Belarusian president said that about 10 attack drones had violated the border between Belarus and Ukraine. Some of the targets were shot down, the remaining UAVs were “handed over” to the Russian side, because the two countries have a common air defense system. The Belarusian leader called the incident a provocation, noting that such actions would be responded to.

Russian Iskander missile systems are deployed in Belarus. President Lukashenko said that Minsk is equipped with nuclear-tipped missiles and is ready to carry out strikes with tactical nuclear weapons.